Game Improvement Quickies (always updated!)

Physique

Forearm strength is a great game improvement secret. Roger Federer confesses that he is blessed with a strong wrist. That's where he gets all that rackethead speed. A strong wrist comes from a strong forearm, so build up that forearm. Here's how:

Grip-Master (V-shaped spring-loaded device that strengthens your grip - I love it, done wonders for my game). Do it by counts or by time. Do it till you can't really hold something afterwards (but not before a tennis game 'cos your muscles will be too fatigued to perform). You'll be amazed at how light your racket feels with just a couple of sessions with it.

As an alternative, use an old tennis ball. Keep pressing it until your forearms feel like jelly. Do this often and you will build a strong grip, wrist and forearm. Very essential for power and racket control. After this I guarantee more zing and kick in your every stroke.

Another one of my favorites is to use rubber bands. Loop them around your fingers and open those fingers up. Double up for more tension.

Also, frequently spin your racket (a la Federer on return-of-serve), or tossing and catching it, or bouncing balls up and down, balancing things on the racket face, perform circus acts with your racket. Get used to the weight and length and how it feels when in motion.

These playful exercises 'fuse' the racket to your hand for better hand-eye coordination and handling. Trust me, the more stuff you can do with the racket, the more control you have over it. Invent some new ones and tell me about them ;)

Technique

Shorten your backswing.

This is the BEST CURE for most players. Think 1ft backswing, 2ft follow-through. The pros are always trying to make their swings more 'compact'. This is exactly what it means. It improves timing and control, which improves power and accuracy.

I cannot emphasize enough that too many players have too long a backswing. The backswing is the most unnecessary part of your stroke. The more time you spend taking the racket back, the less time you have moving that racket towards the ball.

Meet the ball with your racket face perpendicular to the ground. It is sometimes called 'hitting with a flat face'. Spin is produced by how you swing at the ball, not by the angle of your racket face.

Practice getting your racket in position directly behind the ball. Ideally, you want to be hitting the ball in a swinging motion that is parallel to the ground (this applies to strong players with faster swings). If you like taking the ball waist-height, prepare your racket waist-height or just slightly below it. Then strike through towards your target in a single forward blow. Remember, prepare your racket at the height that you anticipate meeting the ball.

If you are a beginner, or not a fast swinger, swing the racket low-to-high and finish over the opposite shoulder.

Take the racket back by turning your shoulder instead of letting you arm 'reach' backwards. It ensures a compact backswing and promotes meeting the ball in front of you. This applies critically to volleys.

Footwork

Take bigger steps.

Unless you are very athletic, avoid hitting with an open stance. It is for advance players who play against advance players and have little time to get into the proper hitting position.

SPLIT-STEP. Everytime your opponent hits the ball. It helps you snap into action.

Beginners Please Read This

If you are an absolute beginner (never held a racket or hit a ball in your life), please find yourself a certified tennis coach to teach you the basics.

You can read all you want about how to play tennis, but your muscles have not learnt to do it.

You need someone to feed you balls, show you the motions, correct you immediately when you make a mistake. It’s the best way to learn, otherwise you will not enjoy the game in the long run.

Some players are self-taught, and I’m sure many of you have friends and playing partners who are like that, and they are probably good players too. But I assure you it took them years and lots of determination to get there.

More likely than not, they have some very fundamental flaws in their game, and bad habits that they would like to get rid of, but can’t.

Do yourself a favor, learn from a pro (they've spent a lot of time, effort and money to get proper training) and have yourself more years of enjoyable tennis.

Why "The Federer Forehand"?

Tennis has changed a lot since I began playing it 18 years ago. Heroes come and go. Every era has its posterboy who defines how the dominant game is played. McEnroe's net game, Lendl's power groundstrokes, Wilander's speed, Becker's serve, Edberg's serve-and-volley, Sampras' all-court game.

Now Roger Federer holds that torch.

While Federer's game is good, or great, all-around (I don't consider his backhand a 'weak' side at all), I think if there's one thing you don't want to let him do, is take a forehand.

It is elegant, it is graceful, it is wicked, it is intimidating, it is virtually all the tennis superlatives you can come up with. He can hit it flat, viciously spun, short or deep, sharp angled or straight down the line.

Yet it is a simple stroke. It is classic in every sense. It is the perfect execution of all the tennis fundamentals that you and I were taught. Sure he shanks it once in a while, but to me it is the most effective stroke in the history of tennis. Period.

In my bid to share knowledge and passion for this game, I will try to answer every question you have on the game, and hopefully improve your game in the process.

Most of the articles here are inspired by my playing partners. In their quest to play better tennis, I am often asked for tips and pointers, mostly on techniques and execution.

It is also important to realize that it is not enough to just read articles, watch videos and study pictures. You have to go out and experiment. Try making shots in a real match situation. It is the only way to internalize what you have learnt, and incorporate them into your game.

Some tips may work for others but not yourself, so don't be afraid to try different ways to make the shot. Once you understand the fundamentals and reason behind it, it'll become easier to self-correct.

The best way to stop improving is to get stuck in the old ways (unless it is already flawless of course). For different results, you have to do things differently.

Finally, I hope you find what you are looking for here, if not you can always post me a message. Don't forget to let me know who you are and where you are writing from. Thanks and happy improving!